Vegetarian Upbringing Not More Likely To Stunt Toddlers' Growth, Study Finds

Key TakeawaysBabies raised vegan or vegetarian aren’t more likely to have stunted growthBy age 2, vegan and vegetarian babies had about the same growth trajectory as omnivorous babiesNewborns were slightly more likely to be underweight, but by age 2 those differences were no longer significant.TUESDAY, Feb. 17, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Babies’ growth isn’t more likely to be stunted if they’re raised on a vegetarian diet, a new study says.Tracking nearly 1.2 million infants, researchers found that by age 2 those raised in vegan and vegetarian households follow growth trajectories nearly identical to their omnivorous peers, according to findings published recently in JAMA Network Open.“The data suggests that with the proper environment, plant-based diets do not compromise the fundamental physical development of infants,” lead researcher Kerem Avital, a doctoral candidate at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel, said in a news release.Plant-based diets are becoming more common among Western countries, and have been linked to a lower risk of heart disease and other health problems, researchers said in background notes.“Nevertheless, concerns persist about nutritional adequacy in pregnancy and early childhood, particularly with regard to vitamin B12, iron, iodine, vitamin D, calcium and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids,” researchers wrote in their study.Essentially, some are worried that children won’t receive the nutrition they need through a vegan or vegetarian diet.For the study, researchers analyzed records from 2014 to 2023 kept by the Israeli Ministry of Health, which tracks the development of about 70% of children in the country.Using the data, researchers compared babies raised in vegetarian (1.2% of all infants) or vegan (0.3%) homes to those raised in omnivorous homes (98.5%).Results showed that babies had similar growth patterns regardless of diet.Infants in vegan households had 37% higher odds of being underweight in the first 60 days of life, but this difference diminished over time and was no longer significant by age 2, researchers said.Also by age 2, stunting rates remained low across all dietary patterns – 3.1% for omnivores, 3.4% for vegetarians and 3.9% for vegans, with no significant differences in risk between groups.“These findings suggest that family vegan dietary patterns may support appropriate infant growth, but further work is needed to clarify how vegan diet quality and nutritional counseling during pregnancy and infancy support optimal infant development,” researchers concluded in their study.More informationThe American Academy of Pediatricians has more on plant-based diets for kids.SOURCE: Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, news release, Feb. 9, 2026 .What This Means For YouA vegan or vegetarian diet is not likely to stunt an infant’s growth, researchers say..Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Vegetarian Upbringing Not More Likely To Stunt Toddlers' Growth, Study Finds

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